Eating shoes!

[Laurenlauren]

We have recently decided to have Pepper as an indoor rabbit because he failed to bond with Cinammon (who is a free-range outdoor rabbit).

Since he has been inside, we've learnt that he has an obsession with shoes and anything made of rubber. Cords don't seem to be a concern (thank goodness) but so far he has 'eaten' my kids swimming goggles, various kids toys, the soles of our ugg boots and bitten the aglets off all of my shoe laces.

He seems pretty happy inside and has free reign of the house with a cage for himself that stays open. He's happily flop anywhere in the house but is not interested in coming up for pats or affection.

Any tips on how to break his obsession with rubber and silicone?

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

Giving him lots of things to chew will help but the most part, prevention will be your best option. Keeping things out of his reach, so that he won’t chew it and get sick and you don’t need to buy new things all the time.
Rabbit proofing: Bunny Proofing Your House | Indoor Rabbits
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bunny-proofing.html
Things like willow and apple sticks or hay balls will be appetising for most rabbits to chew.

 

[Laurenlauren]

Giving him lots of things to chew will help but the most part, prevention will be your best option. Keeping things out of his reach, so that he won’t chew it and get sick and you don’t need to buy new things all the time.
Rabbit proofing: Bunny Proofing Your House | Indoor Rabbits
https://rabbitsindoors.weebly.com/bunny-proofing.html
Things like willow and apple sticks or hay balls will be appetising for most rabbits to chew.

Thanks. I'll have to pick up some willow and apple sticks.

Keeping things out of his reach has been our goal but it's difficult to keep the floor tidy with two preschoolers at the best of times! It's probably going to be easier for me to train the kids to put things away than to train the rabbit.

He's been laying on his stomach lately (instead of his side) and I wonder if it's because he has a sore tummy from eating all the wrong things.

 

[Apollo’s Slave]

I babysit my younger cousins all the time! Total trouble! But yeah, it’ll likely be easier to train the kids to keep thing away then to train the rabbit to ignore them. Do you have a picture of how he’s sitting? And what are you feeding?

My rabbit does a thing that we call a ‘loaf’, (see picture).

 

[Blue eyes]

He's been laying on his stomach lately (instead of his side) and I wonder if it's because he has a sore tummy from eating all the wrong things.

Did you mean on his stomach like in the photo you attached? If so, that pose (with back legs outstretched) is total contentment! Only a very relaxed bunny will dare to put out his legs like that (not so easy to hop up quickly and 'get away').

 

[Laurenlauren]

Did you mean on his stomach like in the photo you attached? If so, that pose (with back legs outstretched) is total contentment! Only a very relaxed bunny will dare to put out his legs like that (not so easy to hop up quickly and 'get away').

Yes, like in that photo. I read somewhere that it's either a super relaxed pose or they press their tummy into the ground if they're sore.

I can imagine eating rubber would give anyone a sore tummy! But if it's nothing to worry about then that's good.